11 Facts About Your Drinking Water

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1. The majority of Americans (almost 300 million people) get their tap water from public water systems. The other 15% receive water from private water systems not subject to government regulation.^[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Private Drinking Water Wells." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
2. Most tap water contains fluoride, a salt compound that helps prevent cavities.^[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Basic Information about Fluoride in Drinking Water." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
3. 768 million people lack access to improved drinking water supplies and 2.5 billion people — half of the developing world — lack access to adequate sanitation.^[UNICEF. "Water, Sanitation and Hygiene." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
4. Americans now use 127% more water than in 1950, and about 95% of the water entering our homes goes down the drain. Encourage your friends to preserve water by only using 13 gallons in one day (it’s harder than it sounds!). Sign up for 13 Gallon Challenge.^[Clift, Jon and Cuthbert, Amanda. "Water, Use Less--save More: 100 Water-saving Tips for the Home." Chelsea Green Publishing, 2007. Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
5. The EPA requires all community water systems in the U.S. to report drinking water quality systems to its customers annually. This includes details on where the water comes from, what contaminants have been found in the water, and potential health effects.^[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Water: Source Water Protection." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
6. The CDC declared drinking water fluoridation as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Ten Great Public Health Achievements -- United States, 1900-1999." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
7. Some old water pipes still contain lead, a poisonous metal. Lead may cause a range of health effects including behavioral problems and learning disabilities. Children six years old and under are most at risk because this is when the brain is developing.^[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
8. Americans drink more than a billion glasses of tap water per day.^[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Water Facts." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
9. Diseases like schistosomiasis and guinea worm disease could decrease by 80% with the help of improved hygiene, sanitation, and drinking water.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Global WASH Fast Facts: Information on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene." Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
10. Only one percent of all the world’s water can be used for drinking. Nearly 97 percent of the world’s water is salty or otherwise undrinkable, and the other two percent is locked away in ice caps and glaciers^[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "WATER ON TAP: what you need to know." 2009. Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]
11. There is no “new” water: whether our source water is a stream, river, lake, spring, or well, we are using the same water the dinosaurs used millions of years ago.^[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "WATER ON TAP: what you need to know." 2009. Web Accessed May 2, 2015.]